The fifth-ranked Ducks barely looked back. Triggered by Thomas' attention-grabbing return, Oregon raced past No. 7 Kansas State 35-17 on Thursday night at the Fiesta Bowl in what might have been coach Chip Kelly's final game with the Ducks.

Teams that had national title aspirations end on the same day, Oregon and Kansas State ended up in the desert for a marquee matchup billed as a battle of styles: The fast-flying Ducks vs. the execution-is-everything Wildcats.

Kelly rumors abound

With Kelly reportedly talking to several NFL teams, Oregon (12-1) was too much for Kansas State and its Heisman Trophy finalist, Collin Klein. The Ducks tried to turn the game into a track meet, and it worked.

Thomas followed his before-everyone-sat-down kickoff return with a 23-yard touchdown catch, finishing with 195 total yards.

Kenjon Barner ran for 143 yards on 31 carries and scored on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota in the second quarter. Mariota later scored on a 2-yard run in the third quarter, capped by an obscure one-point safety that went in the Ducks' favor.

Even Oregon's defense got into the act, intercepting Klein twice and holding him to 30 yards on 13 carries.

Whether Kelly leaves Eugene, he had a good run, leading the Ducks to four straight trips to BCS bowls, the last two wins.

Dynamic offenses

Last year's Fiesta Bowl was an offensive fiesta, with Oklahoma State outlasting Stanford 41-38 in overtime. The 2013 version was an upgrade: Nos. 4 and 5 in the BCS, two of the nation's best offenses, dynamic players and successful coaches.

Oregon has become the standard for go-go-go football under Kelly, its fleet of Ducks making those shiny helmets - green like Christmas tree bulbs for the Fiesta Bowl - and flashy uniforms blur across the grassy landscape.

Their backfield of Thomas, Barner and Mariota made up a three-headed monster of momentum, each one capable of turning a single play into a scoring drive of 60 seconds or less.